Applications for the 2025/26 Technical Teaching Fellowships – awarded by the Education and Training Foundation (51) and Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 – remain open until 30 November 2024. Through the Fellowship programme, practitioners in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) can receive financial support, developmental workshops, a mentor, and opportunities to disseminate their work and best practice across the Further Education (FE) and Skills sector.
Up to six Fellowships are awarded each year, across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Fellows are recognised for being outstanding practitioners with high-impact teaching practice. They play an important role in driving quality improvement in FE technical teaching and training, facilitating CPD for sector colleagues and sharing effective practice, thought leadership, resources and ideas. Through knowledge sharing activities, Fellows enable others to develop their pedagogy and professional practice so they can meet the current and future needs of individuals, businesses and communities.
On being awarded a Technical Teaching Fellowship, successful applicants will:
Awardees become alumni of the Royal Commission and will also be made Fellows of the Society for Education and Training (SET).
What do current and former Fellows say?
Jen Deakin, Course Leader of Graphic Design and Advanced Practitioner at Runshaw College and current Technical Teaching Fellow, said: “At first, I wasn’t sure exactly what a Fellowship would involve, but I decided to go for it. So far, it has been a great opportunity, not only in terms of supporting my research, but also in growing my network, and opening up further opportunities through new contacts and learning.
“My Technical Teaching Fellowship project is looking at how teachers can use AI to enhance their teaching in the classroom, but also alleviate their workload. There will be lots of practical outputs from my research that I hope to share widely to help colleagues across the sector.”
Rosa Wells, FE Principal and Dean for STEM at University College Birmingham, who was awarded a Technical Teaching Fellowship in 2021, said: “It was an honour to be selected as a Technical Teaching Fellow and being one has helped me to grow in confidence. I presented my research in academic talks and events and spoke at conferences about attracting diverse people to STEM, like women and those from LGBTQ+ backgrounds. I have also welcomed the opportunity to help elevate the FE sector, which does so much informal research that isn’t recognised.”
Further details and the application form are available on the Technical Teaching Fellowships programme page of the 51 website. Potential applicants can contact Applicationttf@etfoundation.co.uk to find out more.